1 Corinthians Commentary Chapter 2 (1)

1 Corinthians Commentary Chapter 2 (1) There are pseudo-theories similar to the time-limited eschatology, who are talking about entering the 144,000 and gaining eternal life and entering heaven in the future, but this is a level issue.The church in Corinth is a church in name only, but it is below par, but 1 Corinthians is not like that.If you look at 1 Corinthians 2, you can see the level of the church in Corinth or the current church. Verse 1 "I, Brothers, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or wisdom, declaring to you the testimony of God," says Paul.The testimony of God should not be preached with noble words and wisdom.It should not be preached with great eloquence.However, these days, there are some who make strange new words and gain popularity.Some churches even say that the new words made by the pastor have become the standard of their faith.Only when a person who is inspired by the Holy Spirit testifies to the message of the cross of Christ, those who hear the words will receive the same inspiration of the Holy Spirit.Throughout the Bible, there is no one who participates in God's work without the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.Even the craftsmen who made the tabernacle's equipment were moved by the Holy Spirit to do their work.We must learn the secret of receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit from the Lord (Acts 2:38), sitting in a place where  we have received forgiveness of sins through repentance and baptism by hearing the cross of Christ and following him in faith. Verse 2 "For I determined not to know any thing among you, save  Jesus Christ, and him crucified."Jesus Christ and Him crucified are the contents of the gospel.The existence of Jesus Christ and the work of redemption that he accomplished are preached, and those who are chosen in him believe in him and through obedience which are united with his word, and receiption which receive the fact, the work of born again takes place.All other methods are lies.They are just words that please people's ears.When someone gave me a tract saying, "Believe in Jesus," I asked, "Do you know how to believe in Jesus?" and he hesitated and could not answer.He must have thought that he just had to believe, and that it was a strange way to believe.There are also people who say that they receive Jesus.Actually, reception is believing in the existence of Christ and all of the content of his work, accepting and following him.So Paul says that this is obedience to the faith (Romans 1:5).Some say that if you believe in Jesus and obey his words, you will go to heaven or accumulate rewards in heaven.Jesus Christ's death on the cross and resurrection moved me from somewhere to somewhere and made me know that fact through the gospel, so accepting this fact with faith is obedience to the faith.Finding and confessing the fact that I am in Christ through the cross of Christ is born again and faith that has eternal life. Verse 3 "I was with you in weakness and in fear, and in much trembling."This is the attitude of those who preach the gospel of Christ, the testimony of God.Just as a eunuch stands to hear only the king's words and preach them, this is the attitude of the Lord's servant who only wants to preach the cross of Christ.However since, ‘I, who died of sin in Adam, died to sin through Christ and was resurrected with Christ, became a new creation and became alive toward God in Christ.’ this fact cannot be realized through human wisdom, so it is truly difficult to testify to the Word.Like the church in Corinth, the saints who are in Christ but belong to the flesh are fixated on the external gifts when it comes to the baptism of the Holy Spirit, making it difficult to preach the true baptism of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:13). Verse 4 "And my speech and my preaching were not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power" (1 Corinthians 2:4)Paul is stating that the words (ho logos) and preaching (kergma) did not rely on words of wisdom, but only on the inner power of the Holy Spirit to preach the words that testify to the existence of Christ and the gospel that preches his work.Those who preach the gospel must first accept the gospel of the atonement of Jesus Christ and have the mystery of the truth of becoming one with Christ in the Holy Spirit.This is the most urgent element for the church in this age.Therefore, we should not try to reform the system, organization, or form of the church, but we should be able to properly teach the contents of this gospel in seminaries.When I was giving a seminary lecture, a Christian education professor asked me why I was teaching the gospel to seminary students, so I explained it to him in detail.His theory is that students should be educated.However, true Christian education is not intellectual education, but the Holy Spirit makes us know the truth and makes us one with Christ, thereby gradually changing our nature. Verse 5 "That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God."These days, pastors are speaking freely about the word "humanities" on the pulpit.There are many people who study the Bible from a pedagogical perspective and thus do not have the spirit of wisdom and revelation.Those who say they will go to heaven after they die can be considered to be of this type.However, those who know the truth in the Holy Spirit are now found in Christ, become one in His blood, are reconciled through the cross, and become one with Christ in the Holy Spirit and know the way to go before God the Father (Eph 2:11-18).Therefore, in the Holy Spirit, they become a house where God dwells, with Christ as the cornerstone (Eph 2:22).Would such a person worry about going to heaven?Would he be restless because he is not included in the 144,000?I confidently say that even if it is just one person, not the 144,000, that person is me.Because I have become one bread, one body, and one spirit with Christ through the grace of the atonement of the cross of Christ, there is no being that can separate me from Christ.However, if you are careful, faith will quietly return to philosophy.This is because philosophy is an inseparable component from human natures.There are many articles and sermons being distributed on the Internet these days, and most of the flashy content among them belongs to this category. As Paul advised, we must repeat the training of preaching the gospel in the power of God.We must not neglect the training of godliness that always follows the process of the atonement of Christ's cross and relies on the work of Christ's spirit and life in the Holy Spirit.We must run without ceasing, longing for the dwelling,  the work, and fullness of the Lord's spirit and life by constantly offering ourselves to the cross so that we may be found in Christ where we should be, and taste the power of the Lord's resurrection. (Phil. 3:9-12) Written by Ptr. Yohan Kim.Translated by  Nancy Chung COME AND SEE WORLD MISSION To God be the glory.